Texas Governor Rejects First-Pitch Invite Over MLB Moving All Star Game From Georgia


By Zachary Stieber

April 5, 2021
Updated: April 5, 2021

The governor of Texas on Monday informed Major League Baseball (MLB) that he would not throw the first pitch at the Texas Rangers’ first home game because of the MLB moving its All-Star game from Georgia.

Gov. Greg Abbott thanked Neil Leibman, MLB’s chief operating officer, for the invitation.

“I was looking forward—until Major League Baseball adopted what has turned out to be a false narrative about the election law reforms in Georgia, and, based on that false narrative, moved the MLB All-Star Game from Atlanta,” he wrote in a letter.

“It is shameful that America’s pastime is not only being influenced by partisan political politics, but also perpetuating false political narratives,” he added.

Texas will not seek to host any MLB special events and Abbott is forgoing all future participation in league events, though he maintains respect for the Texas Rangers, whose home opener is on April 5 against the Toronto Blue Jays.

MLB did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The league on April 2 announced it was moving its All-Star game and draft from Georgia in retaliation for lawmakers passing a law that proponents say strengthens election safeguards but has been criticized for allegedly making it harder to vote.

MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred Jr. said the move was “the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport,” adding that the league “fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box.”


He did not specify which provisions in the law he opposed.


But the decision drew backlash from others, including against corporations like Delta and Coca-Cola that have criticized the law.

A group of Georgia representatives asked Coca-Cola to immediately remove their products from their offices, while former President Donald Trump called for boycotts against corporations that went public with their opposition to SB 202.

“Don’t go back to their products until they relent,” Trump said. “We can play the game better than them.”
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